Cobra Baffler XL Irons Review – Performance At A Crazy Low Price

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Cobra Baffler XL Irons Review

Today I’ll be reviewing the Cobra Baffler XL game-improvement iron set, said to deliver “easy distance and consistently higher ball flight” for those seeking maximum forgiveness.

The Baffler XL irons supposedly offer tremendous value for the price. How much truth is there to this statement?

Are they worth the buy? What are their weaknesses? Read on to get all the answers to your questions.

Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.


Quick Verdict

Rating: 4.8/5 (Excellent)

Pros

  • relatively inexpensive
  • easy to get up in the air whether from the rough or a tight lie (great for those who tend to hit it low)
  • superb look and feel
  • very solid and consistent distance
  • very good forgiveness

Cons

  • not the longest iron out there
  • trajectory may be too high for some
  • some may find the weight of the iron to be a bit uncomfortable

Classification: Game-Improvement

Best suited for: Golfers on a tighter budget, or high handicaps looking for a higher ball flight and solid forgiveness. The Baffler XL irons can certainly be enjoyed by lower handicaps as well.

Best Places To Buy Online

The Baffler is quite an old model, which makes it more difficult to find online. However, the upside to this is that you can get them for dirt cheap.

You can currently find Baffler XL irons on this eBay page and on this Global Golf page at very low prices. I would definitely recommend eBay in this case.

Want a high-resolution look at the Baffler XL irons? Click on the composite image at the top of the page and navigate the photos on the left-hand side of the screen.


What are the reviews like?

The Baffler XL irons have had a superb reception — for example, they have a 4.9/5 on Global Golf and a 4.9/5 (100% recommended) on the Dick’s Sporting Goods website.

They have been praised for their easy-to-hit cool-looking profile, very generous mis-hit forgiveness, reliable distance, and also being easy to get up in the air from a variety of lies. Buyers are amazed at the performance given the relatively low price (sub $300.00 for a 4-GW steel set).

In terms of negatives, some golfers find the weight of the iron to be uncomfortable, and others find the trajectory to be too high for their tastes.


What are the features?

Cobra’s Baffler XL irons are said to provide “easy distance and consistent higher ball flight for the aspiring golfer”. They are intended for golfers who are looking for maximum forgiveness.

Features of the irons include:

  • an oversized face design with a progressive offset that produces a higher and more forgiving trajectory. Note that the offset tends to promote a draw, and since the longer irons have more offset they will be more draw-biased (and thus less workable) than the shorter irons.
  • a wide sole with oversized rails, engineered to deliver smooth turf interaction for more consistent distance from shot to shot.
  • a deep undercut cavity behind an unsupported face which moves weight back (away from the face) — this increases moment of inertia (MOI) and hence increases ball speeds and accuracy across the face.
  • a low center of gravity (CG) that helps get the ball up in the air from any lie.

Stock Info

Similar to the Fly-Z XL irons, the lofts of the Baffler irons are higher than what you might typically find on other irons.

Specifications for the iron and the stock shafts are presented in the tables below.

NameLoftLieLengthSwing Weight (Steel/Graphite)
421°60.5°39.25"D3/D1
524°61.5°38.5"D3/D1
627°62.5°37.75"D3/D1
730.5°63°37.25"D3/D1
834.5°63.5°36.75"D3/D1
939°64°36.25"D3/D1
PW43.5°64.5°36"D3/D1
GW48.5°65°35.75"D4/D2
SW54°65°35.5"D5/D3
ModelFlexWeightKickpointTorqueTip Diameter
Baffler XL True Temper SteelS, R110g (S)
105g (R)
Mid (S)
Low (R)
Low (S)
Mid (R)
0.370
Baffler XL GraphiteS, R, Lite65g (S)
55g (R)
55g (Lite)
MidLow (S)
Mid (R)
Mid (Lite)
0.335

How do these irons perform?

Forgiveness

The Baffler XL iron definitely does not disappoint in the forgiveness department. It competes with many of the more expensive irons in its class.

Distance, direction and trajectory are both impressively consistent even on mis-hits. The Baffler XL tends to resist sidespin and thus helps to alleviate hooks and slices.

When it comes to the shorter irons, you should have little to no problem getting less-than-perfect shots to fly high and land soft into the green.

Distance

Golfers who have slower swing speeds and hit it low with a low spin rate will generally have the best distance results with the Baffler XL irons. In these cases, players can potentially realize distance gains of upwards of 10 yards over their previous irons.

Distances are consistent and reliable, thanks in part to the rails on the sole.

The higher MOI translates to very good ball speed retention on off-center hits.

Playability/Trajectory

As mentioned previously, the Baffler XL irons tend to produce high shots (due to the weaker lofts and low CG) with a slight draw — this may not be suitable for everyone, particularly strong swingers with a high spin rate.

You are able to get the ball up in the air quite easily from almost any lie, whether it be in the fairway, rough or bunker.

Workability is limited, as is expected with game-improvement irons.


What about look, sound and feel?

The Look

The Baffler XL irons have a typical game-improvement profile: a moderately wide sole and moderately thick top line, with a cool Cobra-themed rear cavity design. Nothing outlandish or outrageous.

It’s a confidence-inspiring look that I personally love, as do many others I’m certain. Of course, it does come down to your personal tastes.

The Sound & Feel

Overall, the Baffler XL irons have a very solid, stable and balanced feel at address and throughout the swing.

The sole rails of the Baffler XL irons reduce twisting through turf and contribute to a much smoother feel through impact.

Impact feels and sounds are rather soft and muted, more so than many other similar game-improvement irons.


Where should I buy these irons online?

The best place to find new and used Baffler XL iron sets in all sorts of configurations at the lowest prices is eBay.

They can also be purchased on Global Golf, and in the past, 4-GW sets were being sold on the Dick’s Sporting Goods website at a discounted price.

Note that new Baffler XL irons are often sold in a combo set with hybrids.


Conclusion

The Cobra Baffler XL irons are terrific irons that really don’t have any major weaknesses. They are most ideal for higher handicappers looking for more forgiveness and a higher ball flight.

Although they probably don’t perform quite as well as some of the high-end models, you would be hard pressed to find other irons that deliver so brilliantly for such a low price.

Anyone who is looking for a good solid set of irons and doesn’t want to pay for top-of-the-line models should seriously consider these.

You don’t even really need to worry about testing the irons first because they’re so cheap now. Just follow the links in this article.


Ever tried the Baffler XL irons? Have any thoughts or opinions about them? Let me know in the comments below!

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13 Comments

  1. Tar January 21, 2016
    • Paul January 21, 2016
  2. Don May 26, 2016
    • Paul May 26, 2016
  3. Joe Grimaldi September 17, 2016
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  5. Koro Ngamanu October 16, 2018
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